2022 Annual Report
A Letter from the
CEO and Board Chair
Do more, for more. This was the mandate from our Board of Directors in 2020 — increase WQW’s impact on the needs of post-9/11 Combat Veterans. With your support, we did just that in 2022. It was our most productive and impactful year yet. Not only did we deliver more Warrior programs and serve more participants in a single year than ever before, but we also accomplished the hard work needed to position WQW for even more impact in 2023.
GROWING IMPACT
We delivered 30 weeks of veteran and military family programming —a 157 percent increase in programs since 2019. We provided 256 participant experiences – 185 percent more participant experiences than in 2019. We also launched two new, high-impact program models – Hunt for Purpose (HFP) and the Backcountry Fishing Experience. A fitting example of the impact of these programs is captured in the following testimonial from the spouse of one of our HFP participants:
I was afraid of this past year. I didn’t know what my husband needed, but I knew my love and care wouldn’t be enough for the path ahead…It was a year of uncertainty, where his identity and purpose in life would be pulled out under his feet. I didn’t know what he needed…Hunt For Purpose was an answer to prayer. He was guided through a journey of self-identification, where he found his purpose and identity outside of the Army. He was not alone; he went through this journey with other brothers by his side…Instead of surviving, he was thriving. I can’t thank the team at WQW enough…It has drastically changed my husband’s life and our family’s life.
PREPARING FOR EVEN MORE IMPACT IN 2023
In 2021 we crafted a vision for future programming that moves Warriors beyond healing to thriving. Throughout 2022, we conducted the research, consulted with the experts, and designed the framework of a new program model designed to accomplish that vision. Then we did the hard work to fill the framework with the resources, plans, content, and activities to deliver a one-of-a-kind program that will become our flagship program in 2023: Built for More.
Completely free to participants, Built for More merges the power of peak experiences in nature, the support of comrades, and the expertise of a proprietary personal growth process to guide veterans to their own definition of thriving. Over two transformative Fishing Experiences and a few months in evidence-based online content, veterans build a thriving life of their own design from the ground up. Uplifted by their small cohort of fellow Warriors and led by expert input, veterans systematically dismantle the things holding them back and develop new strengths to move themselves forward. Our first cohort of Warriors will begin the Built for More program in May 2023.
As always, the committed support of our donors, corporate sponsors, foundation partners, and volunteers made this all possible. Their support enabled WQW to raise the funds required to meet our yearly operating expenses. We are filled with gratitude for that support.
Thank you.
Warriors First, Always.
Brian Gilman
Colonel, USMC (Ret.), Chief Executive Officer
Phil Uihlein
Board Chair, Board of Directors
Phil Uihlein
Chair
Tim Richmond
Ed Brandt
Treasurer
Aaron Demro
Secretary
US Army Veteran
Tom Stiffler
USMC Veteran
Jim Collins
Col, USMC (Ret.)
James T. Conway
Gen, USMC (Ret)
Jim McCray
Peter Nalen
Gregory Putnam
US Navy Veteran
Ali Ramirez, PT, DPT
US Navy Veteran
Sandy Stash
Dr. Kath Williams
Jonmichael Weaver
Boardroom Bobcat (2021-2022)
Travis Russell
Boardroom Bobcat (2022-2023)
Tim Stultz
Chair
US Navy Veteran
Ryan Becker
Vice Chair
Paul Makarechian
Secretary
Greg Ellis
Aaron Flint
US Army
Eugene Graf, IV
Eric Hastings
Col, USMC (Ret.)
Bob King
Steve Langlas
Laura Linderman-Barker
Jim McCray
Matt McKenna
Eddie Merideth
Heather Nauert
Steve Newberry
US Navy Veteran
Chris Oliver
USMC Veteran
Ed Rutledge
Charley Snell
US Navy Veteran
AshLee Strong
Phil Uihlein
Chair
James Ulmer
Brian Gilman
Chief Executive Officer
Col, USMC (Ret)
Mike Powell
Chief Operating Officer
LtCol, USMC (Ret)
Saul Martinez
Chief Program Officer
SGT, U.S. Army (Ret)
Chip Raybon
Chief Program and Strategy Officer
MGySgt, USMC (Ret)
Emily Sather
Chief Development Officer
CFRE
Audrey Chorak
Director of Program Operations
Casey Giles
Alumni Engagement Manager
James Hedges
Volunteer Manager
Justin Kreis
Administrative Assistant
Jesse LeNeve
Fishing Operations Manager
Ann Leuprecht
Corporate & Foundations Relations Manager
CFRE
Ryan Olson
Caretaker of Quiet Waters Ranch
Ellis Petrik
Development & Event Associate
Adam Remillard
Controller
CPA
Liz Shull
Annual Fund Manager
Stevie Thieme
Marketing Director
Onno Wieringa
Program Lead
Bryan Suchey
Spring Marketing Intern
Joey Winkler
Summer and Fall Marketing Intern
- WQW Volunteer
PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS
Number of
participants
Number of
programs
Days of
programming
Hours of
programming
Number of
meals served
2022 Impact Report
WQW partners with the Evaluation and Capacity Building team at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University to help measure and communicate the impact of our programs. Below is a summary of our findings from our 2022 program season which demonstrates that for Warriors who participate in WQW, significant impact is felt across multiple outcomes related to well-being, nature, and relationships. Although the most dramatic effects are evident immediately following FX participation, the data indicates that some effects are sustained following participation.
PRE-FX AND POST-FX SURVEY RESULTS:
FIRST-TIME WARRIOR PARTICIPANTS
Nervousness and Stress
There was a 3.7x reduction in feeling nervous and stressed, with 44% of First- Time Warriors reporting after attending WQW that that they never or almost never felt nervous and stressed, compared to 12% before attending WQW.
Rest
There was a 2x improvement in sleep, with 54% of First-Time Warriors reporting after attending WQW that they very often or fairly often had a good night’s sleep, compared to 18% before attending WQW.
Calm
There was a 1.6x improvement in calmness, with 47% of First-Time Warriors reporting after attending WQW that they were never or almost never angered because something was out of their control, compared to 18% before attending WQW.
Problem Solving
There was a 2x improvement in problem solving, with 27% of First-Time Warriors reporting after attending WQW that they very often felt confident about their ability to handle their personal problems, compared to 13% before attending WQW.
Clarity
There was an 1.9x improvement in clarity about what a meaningful life is for them, with 55% of First-Time Warriors reporting after attending WQW that they strongly agree they continue to gain clarity about what a meaningful life is for them, compared to 30% before attending WQW.
Purpose
There was a 1.8x improvement in sense of purpose, with 55% of First-Time Warriors reporting, after attending WQW, that they strongly agree that their sense of purpose continues to grow, compared to 30% before attending WQW.
Nature
There was a 1.6x improvement in feeling nature helps them think clearly, with 90% of First-Time Warriors reporting after attending WQW that that they feel represented extremely well by the statement, “Nature creates a space where it is easier for me to think clearly,” compared to 55% before attending WQW.
Long-Term Outcomes
Year two of the evaluation project allowed the IVMF to compare results from participants’ earliest Pre-FX Survey to their 2022 Annual Survey results. In this analysis, the IVMF compared a participant’s 2022 Annual Survey response to their first recorded Pre-FX Survey, either from 2021 or 2022.
Across four of the five stress indicator questions, the IVMF found that participants felt less isolated, angry, nervous, and stressed, and were sleeping better. This result suggests that outcomes in these areas persist past immediate program participation, and that participants may be forming stronger relationships when they return home after program participation.
Rest
There was a 1.5x improvement in sleep, with 33% of participants reporting after attending WQW that they very often or fairly often had a good night’s sleep, compared to 21% before attending WQW.
Nervousness and Stress
There was a 2.5x reduction in feeling nervous and stressed, with 27% of participants reporting before attending WQW that they very often felt nervous and stressed, compared to 8% after attending WQW.
Calm
There was a 6x decrease in feeling angered, with 16% of participants reporting before attending WQW that they were very often angered because something was out of their control, compared to after attending WQW.
Community
Participants were half as likely to feel isolated, with 16% reporting before attending WQW that they very often felt isolated, compared to 8% after attending WQW.
NUMBERS BY STATE
- Stephen Bozovich
WARRIOR
Meet Kerry, former Army Ranger and WQW Warrior
WQW IN THE NEWS
Vista Outdoors Foundation Awards $30,000 Grant to Warriors & Quiet Waters
Yahoo Finance
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Rib & Chop House Veterans Day Program Raises $27,000 for Local Veteran Associations
Restaurant News
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Finding Purpose: WQW Trains Veterans in Hunt for Purpose Program
Bozeman Daily Chronice
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Marine Veteran Promotes Healing for People and Planet Through Fly Fishing
We Are The Mighty
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Bozeman Nonprofit Takes Veterans Ice Fishing as Move to Reintegration
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Read Article- Jessica Sheridan
Warrior Spouse
A Letter from the
Board Treasurer
WQW entered 2022 with a detailed plan for growth – laser focused on positioning our program to increase its impact upon Warriors served. The 2022 budget was built to resource this growth – made possible by everyone who so generously invested in WQW’s mission.
Of 2022 Revenue, $140,000 was directed to the permanently restricted, program-focused Henry H. and Marion S. Uihlein Warrior Endowment. A portion of the $540,000 in new pledges was received in 2022. The remaining balance on these pledges will be paid over a series of years .
Now, more than two decades after 9/11, it’s more important than ever to enable veterans to find peace, meaning, and purpose after their military service. Your support makes this possible.
Figures are unaudited at the time of this publication’s printing. Numbers are rounded to the hundredth. If you would like more details on our financials, please contact the WQW office.
Ed Brandt
Treasurer
2022 Financials
Revenue
General Contributions
$1,944,000
Events
$838,000
New Pledges
$540,000
Endowment Withdrawals
$356,000
In-Kind
$405,000
General Contributions
$1,944,000
Events
$838,000
New Pledges
$540,000
Endowment Withdrawals
$356,000
In-Kind
$405,000
Total: $4,083,000
Expenses
Direct Program Expenses
$2,882,000
Core Mission Support (Development and Donor Engagement)
$898,000
Core Mission Support (Finance, Human Resources, Administration)
$222,000
Total: $4,002,000
- Shannon Waters
Founder of Gastro Gnome Meals, Donor
